Nearly a third of Americans do not get enough sleep. There are many reasons for this, but your bedroom itself may in fact be one of them! In fact, messy bedrooms can lead to a far worse quality of sleep than a clean, tidy room! Tidying up your home – in particular the bedroom – can feel good, but could it really be all that life-changing? Marie Kondo – who rose to fame through her Netflix series – believes it can be. By creating the KonMari way, Marie Kondo was able to take her love of organization and turn it into a worldwide movement.
How does this KonMari Method work though? Let’s take a look at how to tidy up your bedroom the KonMari way for better sleep. The KonMari method for decluttering and tidying up may be just what you need.
What is the KonMari Way?
Created by Marie Kondo around 2014 and featured in her No. 1 New York Times best-selling book “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up.”, the KonMari method is about decluttering and minimalizing your space. It is a way to tackle tasks that can seem insurmountable – like your messy bedroom!
Instead of taking the more traditional approach to cleaning up, which is going room-to-room and moving clutter from one area to another, KonMari teaches a different method – to clean by category instead of by location.
You start out with clothes, then books, then papers, then komono (miscellaneous items), and – last but not least – items that have sentimental value. By using this method you’ll go through all of your belongings. You keep only the things that are really important to you, discarding the things that – in Marie’s words – don’t “spark joy”.
Using the KonMari Way to Create a Relaxing Sleep Environment
By applying the KonMari way to your home, you’ll establish a living space that encourages a feeling of serenity for your home and life. The room in your house that requires the greatest serenity is, of course, the bedroom.
A lot of people hope to create a minimalist bedroom that offers them a safe haven from the stresses of everyday life, but things rarely work out that well. 
If you find you need to declutter your room, then using the KonMari method is a great way to clean your room more efficiently and effectively.
KonMari Method allows you to eliminate clutter from your bedroom to create a warm and inviting sleep environment.
You’ll have the ideal bedroom checklist to complete the job:
Step 1 – Commit
To apply the KonMari method, you first need to commit. Imagine yourself living your ideal life in that bedroom.
How do you feel when you go to sleep each night and wake up in the morning?
Make sure you take a moment to thank your room, and your bed, for the purpose it serves in your life.
Step 2- Discard
Get everything out of the closets, drawers, bookshelves and pile it up. You could start by category if that feels easier, like clothes, books, etc.
Then go through the pile and work out what needs to be thrown away and what can be keep.
Key to the KonMari method is that you only keep what brings you joy. If you don’t smile when you hold it, then throw it away.
Make sure to say thank you to the item before you do so, for its service to you. It might feel awkward, but it will help you think about what you have and why you have it in your life.
You will be surprised at how much you are willing to throw away! If you are doing this stage right, you should end up with a whole lot of bags of things leaving your room.
Step 3 – Tidy
Start to tidy things back to their place.
Start with your clothes, then books and papers, then miscellaneous items. Leave your sentimental items to the last.
Make sure you stay fully mindful of what you are doing throughout the process.
The KonMari Folding Method
The unique hallmark of Kondo tidying tool is her clothes folding technique. Rather than just laying clothing items flat in a dresser drawer, they should stand upright.
Fold your clothes using the KonMari way to maximize space and to give your clothes the respect they deserve by touching, appreciating, and properly storing them.
Step 4 – Step back and review
By now, everything you had in the bedroom originally should be in a proper place. Now is a good chance to check if you are happy with everything you have.
Is the lighting right? Are the bed linens the right color and style?
Perhaps you need a few more storage boxes to keep everything in its place. You might need to pick up a few extra items to finish the room exactly how you need it to be.
Step 5 – Keep it like that
The final step in the KonMari way is sticking to it. Once your bedroom is de-cluttered and giving you nothing but joy and good sleep, it is essential to maintain that. Make your bed every day, keep everything tidy, and you’ll see improvements in your sleep that really last!
KonMari Way for Better Sleep
One of the hardest parts of tidying and creating a great bedroom is knowing where to begin. The KonMari way gives you a good starting place. Work your way through the five categories and remember that if something no longer sparks joy, you’re better off without it.
Remember, a clean and organized bedroom (and home) is the key to a happier life and to better sleep!
We’d love to hear from you! Have you tried the KonMari way to tidy up your own bedroom? How has it made you feel, and what has it done for your sleep? Leave your comments below!
8 Responses
I am committed to getting the best sleep possible at night. I will definitely use the KonMari method to transform my bedroom into a sleep haven!
Hi Irina! Tidying your bedroom using the KonMari method can be an effective way to create a calming and peaceful space that promotes restful sleep. By removing clutter and only keeping items that bring you joy, you can create a more intentional and harmonious environment.
Here are some additional tips for creating a bedroom conducive to sleep:
1. Keep your bedroom dark, cool, and quiet. This means minimizing noise, light, and distractions that may disrupt your sleep. Use earplugs, white noise machines, and blackout curtains to help create a quiet and peaceful environment.
2. Invest in comfortable bedding and pillows. Choose high-quality bedding made from breathable materials like cotton or linen, and opt for pillows that support your head and neck in a comfortable position.
3. Declutter your digital space too. Remove any electronic devices or screens from your bedroom, as they can interfere with your body’s natural sleep cycle. Instead, read a book or listen to soothing music to help you wind down before bedtime.
4. Keep a consistent sleep schedule. Strive to maintain a consistent sleep schedule by waking up and going to bed at the same time every day, including weekends. This practice helps in the regulation of your body’s circadian rhythm or internal body clock, and can improve the quality of your sleep.
By implementing these tips and the KonMari method, you can create a comfortable and inviting space that promotes restful sleep and sets you up for a productive and energized day ahead!
Stuck at home during the pandemic, I read articles on the Konmari method, including yours, and, with the help of my hubby, did a major declutter and tidy up of our home. My hubby and I donated a lot of stuff that we no longer need or use to charity, hoping that they ‘spark joy’ for someone else. Now, our bedroom and home exudes a feeling of calm and peace. I feel relaxed and am able to breathe in my home again!
Good for you! Staying at home during the pandemic need not be boring and uneventful. You stayed safe and busy to create a serene, clean, and safe bedroom – and home – living and sleeping space for you and your husband!
I read your article with much interest and am taking action. I got rid of a lot of stuff in my bedroom on the first round. I have a long way to go but the KonMari way has given me a framework for deciding whether an item should stay or should go. Now I am starting to have open space in my bedroom. I no longer feel stressed and weighed down by too much stuff. I am about 70% done at this point and it feels great.
We’re happy you found our post helpful. The Konmari method teaches that only YOU can decide what to keep and what to throw away. Your own feelings, values, and desires come into play when deciding about which belongings bring value to your life and which belongings you want to surround yourself with. Keep going! You’re on your way to a clutter-free bedroom, a clean, inviting bedroom environment conducive to better sleep!
I absolutely love that Marie Kondo has become such a phenomenon! Her methods are straightforward and make so much sense! If it doesn’t spark joy why should you keep it around? I’ve changed a lot, in lots of areas of my life, since reading her book.
Glad to hear! Hopefully, the KonMari decluttering method has lead to a clutter-free, inviting bedroom space for relaxation and better sleep, and a happier you!